Capitol Corridor’s Yolo Causeway West Crossover Project now complete

The project allows trains to better utilize the existing double track in both directions on the Yolo Causeway between the Sacramento and Davis stations. Since this is one of the busier freight corridors in Union Pacific's network, this benefits passenger trains by enabling Capitol Corridor trains to pass freight trains, giving an additional boost to Capitol Corridor's reliability, which has one of the best on-time performance ratings in the Amtrak system.

The $5-million project received financing from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) from an obligation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) High Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Program (HSIPR) funds to improve passenger rail reliability along the Yolo Causeway.

Prior to this crossover, trains had to travel 13.4 miles between Davis and Sacramento, the two busiest stations on the Capitol Corridor route, without the ability to switch tracks or pass freight trains between these stations. Installation of the Yolo Causeway crossover cuts that distance in half and allows for trains to move and pass, regardless of the train traffic direction, thereby optimizing the flow of train traffic.